Port Townsend is a quaint little seaside town located on the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula. It is known for its historic charm and many Victorian buildings. Port Townsend is surrounded on almost all sides by water which makes it the perfect place for The Wooden Boat Festival. The festival is an annual event in Port Townsend that is visited by thousands from all over the world. My husband, Mike and I have lived on the Olympic Peninsula for 10 years and have never had the opportunity to go to the festival. This year we decided it was time to check it out!
As we arrived in Port Townsend we decided to take a detour when we saw a sign announcing “organic hard cider”. We had never tasted “hard” cider and thought it might be fun to give it a try. We followed the signs to “Alpenfire” cidery and were greeted by “Bear”, one of the owners. We were impressed with his passion as he shared the history of the cidery and the art of cider making. Alpenfire was the first organic cidery in Washington state.
We were pleasantly surprised to find a tasting bar to sample a few of the many varieties of hard cider. We tried seven different ciders and found our favorite to be “Spark” and “Smoke”. Bear was a firefighter for many years, thus the naming of many of his ciders. When making the “Spark” cider, a champagne yeast is added which causes it to have bubbles and a champagne taste. The “Smoke” is aged in whisky barrels and oh so smooth. I was amazed at the varieties of cider we tasted and to find out there are so many more. The cidery is open some weekends and by appointment for tours, tasting and special events. You can learn more about the cidery and the art of cider making at Alpenfire.
Next we were off to downtown Port Townsend and the 39th Annual Wooden Boat Festival. It is truly a celebration of wooden boats. The three day festival is packed full of presentations and classes with experts from all over the world. There are seven stages running all weekend with two stages dedicated to woodworking and wooden boatbuilding skills. It is the place to learn about interesting discoveries and happenings in the boating world. Many families bring their boats to the festival year after year. The harbor is packed with gorgeous wooden boats of every size. I can’t imagine what a feat it is to get them all into the harbor and docked two and three deep! The festival is family friendly with a special Kids’ Cove in which kids can build their own wooden boat. We enjoyed the music and great food. By the way, the salmon sandwich was delicious! Visit Wooden Boat Festival for more information.
There are always so many things to do in Port Townsend. Port Townsend guide is a great place to find more information including a calendar of events. Mike and I always enjoy our visits to Port Townsend and this weekend was certainly no exception!
